Tag Archives: eating disorders

Happiness Is…

On Friday Mick and I spent a lovely day. In the morning I finally made our Christmas cakes. You’ll find the recipe of one of them on yesterday’s food blog. The other one went up earlier. On Wednesday I put two lots of fruit intended for two Christmas cakes to soak in port but since Thursday was close to 104 degrees, I decided to leave it till the next day when it was supposed to turn cooler. Thankfully it did. So the cakes got made. Mick meanwhile was busy card making. He’s been working on family birthday cards for the … Continue reading →

Frugal Christmas Entertainment

This year, why not spend most of your time preparing for Christmas by taking advantage of all of the free and low cost Christmas entertainment and activities, instead of spending that time shopping (which is not very frugal at all). Here are some of my favorite frugal Christmas entertainment activities. Breakfast with Santa This time of year, there are many opportunities to experience breakfast with Santa. This can be fun because the kids will generally get a longer time talking with Santa than if they visited him for a quick photo at the mall. Breakfast with Santa can be pricey … Continue reading →

Food for an Open House

An open house is a great way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends without a lot of the hassle of trying to fit things into a schedule. Basically, you have a set number of hours in which your home is open to guests. Friends and family can drop by any time during these hours and stay as long as they like. With an open house, your home will never get over crowded, and you will have more quality time to spend with each guest as they arrive. When hosting an open house, you’ll want to have plenty of … Continue reading →

Is Christmas Perfection Costing You Money?

The whole “Christmas is getting too commercial” mantra has been going on for a while. everyone seems to admit that it is true, but very few do anything to change the way that they consume during the holidays. Related to the commercial issue is the perfection issue. So many of us dream of the perfect Christmas with all of the right trimmings. Instead of homemade ornaments, popcorn, cranberries, gingerbread and paper chains, we have to have glittery ornaments that are color coordinated in silver and blue or gold and burgundy. Instead of a few candles in the window or a … Continue reading →

Holiday Fun with the Family

After surviving yet another snow day with a house full of kids (most not mine), I definitely see why some parents take advantage of all the outdoor holiday-related activities offered this time of year. Whether it’s a horse-drawn carriage ride down Main Street or a walking tour of Christmas lights at the zoo, tis the season to let your kids burn off steam while enjoying festive events. Here’s a look at some kid-friendly holiday activities going on around the country right now: MAINE In Portland, Maine, families can tour the inside and outside of the legendary Victoria Mansion, which has … Continue reading →

How to Make a Card Tree

Well the nativity scene is up right in a prominent place in the hall near the front door where anyone who comes can see it. The parcel man was the first visitor to see it. Then the lights went on the front window. The blue lights look like a crown around the bell and the star and the gold lights are arranged in a pattern around the bottom. It looks very pretty. The wreath is on the front door and baskets of pine cones and tinsel are scattered around several rooms. All we need now is the Christmas tree which … Continue reading →

Christmas in Florida

After the Blizzard of 2009, I’m sure more people than ever are considering traveling to Florida for Christmas. I prefer Hawaii myself, but I digress. Sunny Florida is a hotspot for snowbirds looking to escape Old Man Winter’s blast. However, some shy away from flying south because they don’t think the sand and surf make for a traditional Christmas backdrop. Little do they know that Florida is filled with festive displays and attractions this time of year, including: ORLANDO The House of Mouse goes all out for the holidays. If you are planning to travel to Orlando this month, don’t … Continue reading →

How to Include Your (Soon-to-be-Born) Baby at Christmas

There are lots of fun ways to include your soon-to-be born baby at Christmas. Who cares if they don’t know what is going on? For the mother-to-be, this “first” Christmas is just as special as all the Christmases to come. Christmas can almost begin to feel like a baby shower for a pregnant woman. Family members may have gifts for the new baby, such as clothes or toys, and will enjoy watching the new mother open them “for the baby.” Hanging a stocking for the expected baby is a cute way to give small gifts like teething rings, pacifiers or … Continue reading →

More Simple Sweet Treats for Christmas

For those of you after easy, gluten free sweet treats for Christmas, here is a couple more. This first one is good if you have a Christmas cake that turns out too dry. Don’t waste it. Give it a facelift and new lease of life. Miniature Puddings Ingredients 1 gluten free fruit cake Brandy (or orange juice if you don’t want to use brandy) Melted white chocolate Glace cherries. Method Crumble fruit cake up. Pour over enough brandy or orange juice to make really moist. (I haven’t specified a quantity as this will depend on the size of the cake … Continue reading →

Festive Food Garlands

The idea of making festive Christmas garlands out of food is nothing new. In the Victorian era, when the Christmas tree first came into fashion, folks hung all sorts of things on the tree and around the home to celebrate Christmas, and food was no exception. Today, though, we have a wealth of new “materials” available to us for festive food garlands. I’ll share some of the basic traditional food garland ideas, along with some new more modern takes. Orange and Apple Garland This garland not only looks good, it smells good too! The orange and apple garland gives you … Continue reading →